The Bleacher Bums: August 19, 2006 Archive

When we talk about the players that the Twins acquired before this season, we hear a lot about Castillo and Batista and White and Sierra. The best pickup of the offseason, however, may have been Dennys Reyes. Pulled off of the scrap heap and cut during the preseason, Reyes has become the kind of LOOGY we've always dreamed of. Last year, we only knew who he was because Batgirl made fun of his name; this year, he's working a 0.86 WHIP and has given up all of three hits so far in August. Along with Nathan and Rincon, Reyes is one of the anchors of the bullpen that's been just as big a part of the team's success as its batting or starting pitching.

Because he's had such a strong season, I've started to feel a little bad about the fact that every time he comes out to pitch, I still call him "Dennys 'Sampler' Reyes" and giggle maniacally. The problem is, I can't really come up with a better name. "Grand Slam" is a bad-luck nickname for a pitcher, and "Moons Over My Hammy," in addition to being a little long, sounds vaguely dirty. (Why yes, I am 12 years old! How could you tell?) Is there anything else on the late night menu that befits a really great setup pitcher?